Counter Pedophilia Investigate Unit

Dauphin County’s Chief Prosecutor of child abuse cases is speaking out about what he thinks Pennsylvania needs to change.

His testimony came before the newly created Task Force on Child Protection. The Governor created the task force following lawmaker’s reactions to soft laws they say were exposed following the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Sean McCormack is specifically talking about our state’s reporting laws, and how the penalty needs to match the crime. (more…)

The authors’ book, Game Over, Jerry Sandusky, Penn State and the Culture of Silence (William Morrow, $26.99) was published today.

The disturbing issues surrounding child abuse and what happens to those who report it is a particularly poignant topic given that April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and a trial for former Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky on fifty-two counts of abuse is fast approaching. (more…)

A judge on Thursday refused to throw out child sex-abuse charges against Jerry Sandusky but will allow defense lawyers for the retired Penn State assistant football coach to ask again to have the case dismissed as more evidence is turned over by prosecutors.

Judge John Cleland ruled on a catch-all pretrial defense motion that also sought to have some of the evidence against Sandusky suppressed, compel additional disclosure of prosecution materials, and win the court’s permission to introduce an alibi defense. (more…)

BATON ROUGE — People who report child sexual abuse to authorities should get whistleblower protection so they couldn’t be fired, suspended or demoted because of the allegations, the Louisiana Senate agreed in a 36-2 vote Monday.

Senate Bill 158 by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, was filed in response to allegations of unreported abuse involving former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is charged with dozens of criminal counts for alleged sexual abuse of eight boys over 15 years. (more…)

Prosecutors attack bid by ex-Penn State assistant coach to have his case dismissed.

Judge John M. Cleland pushed back Jerry Sandusky’s trial date three weeks to June 5, as prosecutors filed papers Thursday contesting the former Penn State assistant coach’s bid to have his case dismissed. (more…)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State is offering free child-abuse counselling services to the alleged victims of former university assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

The university Wednesday described the arrangement with Praesidium Inc., an abuse risk management company, as a way to fulfil a commitment made by school officials after Sandusky was charged in November. (more…)

(CBS/AP) HARRISBURG, Pa. – On Monday, Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer asked the judge in his child sex-abuse case to delay the start of his criminal trial until mid-July, saying he needed more time to prepare.

Defense lawyer Joe Amendola said the additional two months would help him contact and interview witnesses, subpoena records and hire experts. Earlier this month, Judge John Cleland tentatively scheduled jury selection in the former Penn State assistant football coach’s trial to begin May 14. (more…)

The sexual-abuse scandal that has gripped Pennsylvania State University surprised Justine Schober, M.D., even though she has been treating pedophiles for more than 12 years.

Schober, a pediatric urologist at UPMC Hamot, said she expected more oversight at a large university like Penn State, where retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year period. (more…)

As two scandals spotlight the spouses of alleged sex offenders, the wife of an abuser shares her story with Salon

When a detective showed Jasmine a video of her husband confessing to sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl, she says, “It was like a knife through my heart.” The 43-year-old creator of HealingWives.com, an online support group for women with similar experiences, explains, “I felt like a victim myself — I mean, in an instant, my world changed.” (more…)

As more details come to light in the Penn State case, Jerry Sandusky’s denials are revealing.

As Penn State continues to deal with the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky case, another university is also dealing with its own child sexual-abuse scandal. On Sunday, Syracuse University fired assistant baskeball coach Bernie Fine, who faces an investigation for child-molestation claims.

Though the emerging details of the Syracuse case get more bizarre by the day, the Sandusky saga jumped the shark with the incredible interview that he phoned in to Bob Costas on NBC’s Rock Center. (more…)